Keep your Windows XP up to date

The Windows update feature notifies you of the latest updates and bug fixes for the Windows XP operating system directly from the Microsoft website. To launch the Windows update, you click the start menu, point at the “All Programs” button, and then click “Windows Update” in the programs menu. As soon as you click select Windows update on this menu, Windows XP gets you online and connects you to the Windows Update web page on the Microsoft Web site.

To have your computer or laptop checked out to see whether you’re in need of some updated Windows components, you may follow the below steps:

On the Microsoft Windows update web page, click the scan for updates link. When you click this link, the Windows checks your system for needed updates. After checking your system, the number of updates appears in the list of three types of updates

Critical Updates

Windows XP

Driver Updates

To have the update wizard install particular updates in one or more of the various categories, click the check boxes in front of each update name and description.

After you have all the updates that you want selected, click on “Review” and install updates hyperlink in the pane on the left side of the window.

Click on start download button on the download checklist page. A license agreement dialog box then appears. Choose “Yes” button to start the download. After you click the assent to the license agreement, the Microsoft Windows update page downloads and installs the updated files for the components you selected. When the download and installation are complete, the message download and installation successful appears on Windows update web page.

Click the “Close” box in the upper right corner of the Windows update web page to close this browser window.

Just in case you are the type who would never think to use the Windows update command on the “Start” menu, Windows XP turns on an auto update feature that automatically starts bugging you about new Windows features that you can download and install. Auto update indicates that Windows updates that could benefit your computer are available by placing an install reminder icon in the notification area of the Windows taskbar. From time to time, a screen tip appears above this Install Reminder icon, telling you that new updates are available.

To get the Windows updates downloaded, click that icon in the status bar. Windows then displays an updates dialog box with three buttons along the bottom:

Settings

Remind Me Later

Install

To go online and have Windows download and install the new updates, choose install. To be reminded to update at a later time, choose the remind me later button and then select the time interval that must pass before the install reminder starts prompting you again in the drop down list box of the remind me later dialog box that appears.

To turn off the Auto update features so that it never bugs you again, follow these steps:

Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.

Click the Switch to Classic View button at the top of the Control Panel navigation pane on the left side of this window.

Double-click the System icon to open the Systems Properties dialog box.

Click the Automatic Updates tab and then in the Notification Settings section, click the Turn Off Automatic Updating, I want to Update My Computer Manually radio button.